Bill Text: MS SB2779 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Paid political advertisements; must contain the words "Paid Political Advertisement."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2010-02-02 - Died In Committee [SB2779 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2010-SB2779-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2010 Regular Session
To: Elections
By: Senator(s) Jones
Senate Bill 2779
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-897, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT NO PERSON SHALL WRITE, PRINT, POST, BROADCAST OR DISTRIBUTE OR CAUSE TO BE DISTRIBUTED FOR CONSIDERATION, ANY COMMUNICATION WHICH IS DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE VOTERS AT ANY ELECTION, UNLESS THE WORDS "PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT" APPEARS IN OR ON SUCH COMMUNICATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 23-15-897, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
23-15-897. (1) No person shall write, print, post or distribute or cause to be distributed, a notice, placard, bill, poster, dodger, pamphlet, advertisement or any other form of publication (except notices, posters, and the like, which simply announce speaking date and invite attendance thereon) which is designed to influence voters for or against any candidate at any election, unless and until it has been submitted to, and approved and subscribed by the candidate or by his campaign manager or assistant manager, which subscription shall in all cases be printed as so subscribed, and not otherwise. As, for instance, it shall be unlawful to write, print, post, distribute or cause to be written, printed, posted or distributed any such matter when the authority therefor is designated simply as "paid political advertisement," or "contributed by a friend," or "contributed by the friends and supporters," and the like.
(2) * * * A radio or television station shall not allow any time or place on any of its programs for any address for or against any candidate at any election, except in accordance with the provisions of the federal statutes and the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission as applied to the use of radio and television facilities by a candidate or candidates for office.
(3) * * * Written or printed matter and the time for radio and television addresses shall be paid for at the usual and ordinary rates, and only by a person authorized to make expenditures in behalf of the candidate, as is provided in this chapter in regard to other expenditures.
(4) No person shall write, print, post, broadcast or distribute or cause to be distributed for consideration, any communication which is designed to influence voters at any election, unless the words "paid political advertisement" appears in or on such communication. The provisions of this subsection are in addition to any other requirement of this section.
(5) For a violation or violations of this section, the offender may be proceeded against as provided in Section 23-15-875.
SECTION 2. The Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall submit this act, immediately upon approval by the Governor, or upon approval by the Legislature subsequent to a veto, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the date it is effectuated under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.
